For You I'd Mend

Cal narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips in a line. “How much sleep did you get last night?”

“Enough,” I said, walking toward the café.

“Doubt it,” Aiden said, opening the door to Karma.

The inside was warm and filled with people enjoying their morning coffee, some talking in pairs and groups, others clicking away on laptops. Aiden tossed his jacket on an empty chair to claim the last free table and headed toward the counter. The owner, Lauren, glared at him. Then she noticed Cal and me and broke into a welcoming smile.

“Morning, Theo, Cal. What can I get you?” she asked, completely ignoring Aiden.

I stepped up beside Aiden. “Shot of espresso, please.” I didn’t drink coffee often, but when I did, I always ordered espresso since it came closest to the coffee Mana used to brew in her briki. An intricately decorated snowflake cookie in the display case caught my eye.

“Want to add a cookie?” Lauren asked, sliding open the case.

“No thanks. I avoid sugar.”

Lauren waved her hand and reached into the case with a piece of wax paper before sliding the cookie into a paper bag. “On the house,” she said, handing it to me. “You can admire Poppy’s handiwork, then give it to Max.”

I accepted the bag with a nod. Aiden and Cal both had doofy grins on their faces. I questioned why I’d asked to meet them.

“I’ll take a coffee with a little cream and a Cinnamon Toast Latte for Cam. Both large and to go,” Cal said, glancing at his phone.

“Sure thing. Anything else?” Lauren asked.

“I’d like a triple-shot coconut milk cappuccino with extra foam and a pump and a half of vanilla syrup,” Aiden said. “Extra hot. For here.”

Lauren ignored the stack of colorful mugs and poured the dregs from a pot of decaf into a paper cup. She slid it across the counter to Aiden who took a long sip and hummed in appreciation. “Thanks, beautiful,” he said, shoving a fifty in the tip jar.

Lauren took it out, rang up all our orders and handed me the change. “I’ll have your drinks ready in a minute.”

“Thanks, Lauren,” I said, dropping the change in the tip jar.

“You’re welcome, Theo. Go ahead and take a seat. I’ll bring your drinks.”

Aiden grinned as he wove through the crowded café to the table he’d claimed.

“What did you do to Lauren?” Cal asked as we settled around the table. “You’re literally the only person on her bad side.”

Aiden shrugged, took a sip of coffee, and winced. “So, Theo what has you up and chipper this early?”

“Bad dream,” I said.

They both nodded.

“When does your class start?” Cal asked.

“Tomorrow.” I hated how easily they accepted the half-truth and moved on. My mental health, or lack thereof, was too established to warrant an extended conversation they knew I didn’t want to have.